Copenhagen ready for the European Championships in 2021
After intense negotiations, the City of Copenhagen, DBU, Parken and Sport Event Denmark are ready to host the European Championships in the summer of 2021.
As a consequence of the current coronavirus crisis worldwide and in Europe, UEFA decided on March 17, 2020 to postpone the staging of EURO 2020 to the summer of 2021. UEFA also announced that the concept of 12 host cities would continue if individual host cities were interested.
By Friday, 3 April the parties involved in hosting games in Copenhagen confirmed the continued interest in sticking to the same plan come June 2021.
Since then, the parties have been in close dialogue and negotiated the legal declarations to be handed to UEFA. In recent weeks, the DBU and the City of Copenhagen have had a series of meetings on how the four European Championship matches can be staged in the capital, while preparing for the opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, 2 July.
Both UEFA and ASO (the company behind the Tour de France) have been part of these meetings in recent weeks. The parties now agree on the agreements and declarations sent to UEFA today.
Frank Jensen, Mayor of Copenhagen, said: “It has been my greatest wish for Copenhagen to host both the European Championships and the Tour de France next summer. It now seems we can succeed in this! We can now look forward to a fantastic summer in Copenhagen next year with lots of festivities within the community - which is what we most need to look forward to. I would like to thank all parties to the negotiations for being flexible and for having helped us to have the two sporting events staged together."
DBU Chairman, Jesper Møller, welcomes the continuation of the European festival in Denmark and thanks all parties for showing great benevolence during meetings and negotiations.
“The European Championship is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and it is a historic event that we can have four matches for Copenhagen and a football party in the whole country," he said.
"It will be a huge event, both for the men's national team, the Danish fans and everyone who loves football. Thank you to Parken, the City of Copenhagen, UEFA and the Tour de France for finding constructive solutions to a difficult challenge of accommodating both the European Championships and the Tour de France within a few weeks. We are looking forward to a huge summer of sport in 2021."
Bo Rygaard, President of Parken Sport & Entertainment, said: “We are very excited that we can all look forward to a fantastic summer for all Danes next year. We are looking forward to Telia Parken and Copenhagen being the centre of a celebration that will be felt throughout the country, and we are very proud that our stadium will form the setting for this historic event.
"The circumstances have been challenging for all parties, but everyone has shown the will to find solutions. We are happy that we can help give Denmark a great experience, and we look forward to working on planning so that we are ready to give everyone a huge party next year."
Lars Lundov, director of Sport Event Denmark, said: “We are very much looking forward to EURO 2020 being held next year in Copenhagen. In these times of coronavirus, it is important that we have something to work towards and not least look forward to. With us being part of the European Championship in football and start of the Tour, it will be a historic summer in Denmark next year."
Christian Prudhomme, director of ASO and Tour de France said: “I am very pleased that ASO, Copenhagen and UEFA will work together to create an extraordinary sporting year for Denmark in 2021, which will unite the country in a celebration of sports at the highest level. The Danish people can look forward to hosting four matches of Euro 2020 - and we can't wait to bring the Grand Départ of the largest cycling race in the world to one of the best cycling countries in the world."
Culture and Leisure Mayor of Copenhagen, Franciska Rosenkilde, said: “Two such great sporting events will be brought together in the same summer here in Copenhagen. It probably only happens once that the European Championships is played on the pitch in Parken, and the world's best cycling city lays asphalt for the Tour de France.
"I am looking forward to the summer of 2021, which will not only be a popular festival with great experiences in all districts."